THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:

EMSC – VESID Committee

FROM:

Rebecca H. Cort

SUBJECT:

Special Education Annual Performance Report

 

DATE:

January 30, 2007

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1 and 2

AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Discussion

 

Discussion of the Annual Performance Report required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004.

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

Required by federal statute and regulation.
         

Proposed Handling

 

This item provides information to the Board of Regents about IDEA requirements relating to the State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) on nationally standardized measures of educational and functional outcomes for students with disabilities.

 

Procedural History

 

Public Law 108-446 (IDEA 2004) added new requirements for a multiple year SPP and APR.  States are required to set targets and measure performance on special education priority areas identified by the U.S. Education Department (USED). The SPP and the APR are subject to approval by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at USED. Consistent with this federal statute, in December 2005, the State Education Department (SED) developed and received approval for the six-year SPP spanning the federal fiscal years 2005-2010.  Beginning in 2007, the State must prepare and publish its APR indicating its progress and slippage against the approved SPP measures and targets.  It is due on February 1 annually.

 

Background Information

 

The SPP is designed to evaluate the State’s efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the IDEA and describe how the State will improve its implementation. USED established three monitoring priorities that must be addressed:

1.     Free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment;

2.     Disproportionality; and

3.     Effective general supervision.

There are 20 indicators relating to the priority areas for which the State must report on baseline data, establish measurable and rigorous targets for the six year term of the SPP and specify corresponding improvement activities, timelines and resources.

 

The Regents first discussed the State’s SPP in October 2005.  The first APR based on the SPP has been completed and will be submitted on February 1 to USED for approval.  It is the first step in annually reporting on the 20 indicators. For indicators which have been long established, it was possible in the SPP to establish baselines and set targets. For these indicators, we are able to report in the APR on progress and slippage. For new indicators, our first steps in implementing the SPP in 2006 required us to gather data to establish baselines.  Progress on these indicators will be reported in the APR in February 2008, and annually thereafter.

 

Attached is a chart that provides a summary of the baseline data, and for some indicators, 2005-06 progress data toward the annual targets for improvement.  Data is not yet available for the indicators involving total cohort graduation and drop-out rates, participation and performance on State assessments and schools making adequate yearly progress for students with disabilities as a subgroup.  This data will be reported in April 2007.  A copy of the complete SPP and APR, as reported to USED on February 1, 2007, will be available at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/spp/home.html.

   

Attachment